The Los Angeles Chargers have been decimated with injuries through the first six weeks of the season. With Pro Bowl Wide Receiver Keenan Allen sidelined with a hamstring injury, the Chargers have looked to Mike Williams to carry the load. Williams was able to catch up with NFL Content Creator NFL Mike after the game on Monday night.
Q: How’s Dustin Hopkins feeling after that? We saw him dealing with that injury but still coming through for the team:
Chargers Kicker Dustin Hopkins was a player that came through to help the team secure the 19-16 overtime victory against Denver. Hopkins performance earned him a game ball, after being perfect on all four kicks and an extra point after an Austin Ekeler touchdown. However, you could see the pain in his eyes when he hit the ground after every kick.
Mike Williams was asked in the interview how Hopkins was feeling after the game. “He’s good, I mean obviously he was dealing with it kind of this week, but he showed up to practice and made his kicks.” Williams stated. “He started dealing with the injury during the game but he still came out and kick field goals so that was good for him to go out there and make those.” A later report came out saying that Hopkins will be sidelined for two to four weeks following the win.
Q: What are some of the challenges you face when going against a Cornerback with the skill set of Pat Surtain?
Pat Surtain has been an absolute force to deal with through his first two years in the league. With a 52.4% CMP and allowing just over a 62 QBR, Quarterbacks do not enjoy throwing his way. Mike Williams was being covered by Pat Surtain throughout the entirety of the Monday Night Football matchup. He held Williams to just two catches on six targets, and 17 yards.
When asked about the challenges of facing a defensive back of his caliber, Williams said “He’s pretty good, he was clouding a little bit to my side early in the game and playing a lot of off coverage.” He also said “We weren’t really getting a lot of the looks we wanted, but he’s a pretty good play. We’ll see him again though.” The Chargers next matchup against the Broncos will be in Denver to close the season out in week 18.
Pat Surtain vs. Mike Williams tonight https://t.co/M7zJpr10Tm
— alex (@highlightheaven) October 18, 2022
Q: I know that you’re a contested catch artist and I’m a big fan I’ve been watching your whole career. I know which ones my favorite, but which one is your favorite contested catch of your career?
There is no question that Williams is one of the best contested catchers in the game today. He almost makes it look easy with his jump ball ability, but which one has been his favorite so far? Williams had this to say about his favorite contested catch of his career. “I’d probably say my favorite is the one against Denver when it was like 4th and 20. I slipped and fell and got back up and caught it with one hand.”
Q: Did you get that extra toe in? I thought they should have taken a closer look at it, but they called it incomplete
During the Monday Night Football matchup there were a lot of bad calls by the officiating crew on both sides. This has been a trend throughout the NFL so far this season and NFL fans can only hope it improves. One of the most controversial calls in that game was Mike Williams deep sideline catch in overtime. During the interview, NFL Mike asked the receiver about the controversial call. “I thought I did, but we have people upstairs whose job it is just to watch to see if plays need to be reviewed but they said it didn’t need to be reviewed and I thought I was out” Williams responded.
Mike Williams caught this ball and they don’t even look at it 💀 pic.twitter.com/CcmCnyjmk5
— Jarad Evans (@Jarad_Evans) October 18, 2022
Mike Williams has been the focal point of opposing defenses while Keenan Allen has been out. In three of the six games so far, Williams has been held to under 20 yards receiving in each game. However, the opposition has had its struggles keeping up with the 20-million-dollar receiver. In his other three games, the Clemson product has seen double digit targets, and produced three 100 plus yard games.
The Chargers need to continue to find ways to get Mike Williams the ball, especially in these divisional games. Even with Keenan Allen on the field, Williams is a threat to put up big numbers. Each of the receivers posted 1000-yard seasons last year and a combined 15 touchdowns. Williams has produced 30 receptions, 409 yards, and two touchdowns through six weeks so far this season.
Mike will look to have a bounce back performance at home in week seven where they will host the Seattle Seahawks. Following the week seven matchup, the Chargers head into a bye week before they move into the middle stretch of the season.
You can see the full interview, along with more great NFL content by following NFL Mike on Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
